Picnic at the Pond.

The weather has really been warming up lately, with abundant sunshine luring all of us outdoors as much as possible. Dad's Spring break at school fell during the warmest week we've had yet so far this year.

With some extra time after their chores were in order, the younger ones all enjoyed a trek down to the pond for some fishing!!

Big brother helpin' little brother.

Standard picnic fare.......

Moses and Tabitha!!

Fishing!!

We caught three very small fish!!

Silas wanted to go spear fishing.

Wading.

More fishing.......

Gettin' a little muddy.

Quick candid.

Showing me his new found treasures.

What a wonderful day of sunshine and brother/sister time!! :)

Trivia Tuesday!!

The answer to the last trivia is...................
B
It never hurts to have a little bit of fun.......

As you can see, some of them were a little more enthusiastic about it then others. :)

And the new trivia is-----

One day one of our boys was industriously mowing around our lagoon. As he finished his task he came upon something that all boys love-- a huge frog. And I mean HUGE!!! It was literally the size of a large dinner plate. Eager to show off his discovery, he placed it in the bottom of a empty icecream pail and snapped the lid on. Bringing it inside, he brought it to Mom, who was sitting in the living room. She was reluctant to have him open the pail, because he wouldn't tell her what was inside, and she had visions of something, or many somethings (you know, ants, ladybugs, worms etc......) popping out and invading her house. Finally he assured her that nothing would escape from the pail. Tipping it forward, he removed the lid, just in time for the mammoth frog to leap from the pail and right into Mom's lap. You can imagine Mom's response!! He was able to scoop up the frog after only a few more hops, and hastily returned it to the great outdoors.

Since then, he has been most careful to make sure that if it breathes but is not human; it stays outside.

Which Ulmer boy found the frog??!?!?

Stangl Family Visit!!

In February we enjoyed having the Stangl family come down for a visit!! We spent most of Saturday at a local gym playing volleyball. We enjoyed several hours of very fun games of both speed and regular volleyball. One of the last games was a speed game where the teams consisted of; (Team 1) the 4 parents, (Team 2) Seth, Ben, Ellie and Esther and (Team 3) Noah, Elizabeth, Tabitha and Zach. The parents team won!!!!! :)

Before heading to the gym, we had a tea-party!

Place mats.

Goodies.

The fancy ladies and gentlemen.

Naomi and Phoebe eating supper at the gym.

Time together!!

Volleyball.

Group Shot!!

On Sunday afternoon the temperatures were warm, and with abudant sunshine, we headed out for a quick hike in the hills.

Our protection.....

Silas armed himself with a stout stick!! :)

Taking turns carrying the little ones.

Tying shoes....

Racing........

Chasing.......

Climbing.......

and more racing!!

Our house!!

Crossing fences.

Tying shoes........ :)

We ended up at a pond that still had a thin layer of ice over it.

Trying to break through the ice with any available things (rocks, dirt clods, sticks etc...)!!

Thanks for coming, Stangls!! We're looking forward to next time!

Trivia Tuesday!!

The answer to the last trivia is........

Tabitha!!!

The year of 1993 brought heavy flooding to Kansas and Nebraska. As our midwife drove down from Nebraska for the birth, her normal route was flooded in many spots!! By the time she arrived little Tabitha was already here!!!

And the new trivia is--

What did Dad and Mom do for cheap fun when they were first married with young children??

A. Go outside and roll in mud puddles after it rained.

B. Decorate their faces with fruits and vegetables.

C. Sing with their head in a bowl of water.

D. Roll apples and oranges down their driveway with just their noses.

One of the above options is actually true!!! Leave your best guess!! :)

Butchering Beef.

In February we butchered our steers, Andrew and Matthias. We enjoy doing our butchering as a family, and processing the beef together. We are blessed to live in the country and be able to raise the steers!

Seth got to do the honors....

Slit the throat so it will bleed out.

The gutting.

Moses starts the skinning process.

Cutting it in half.

Quartering it into smaller pieces.

Bringing the beef inside.

I guess Noah's a bit hungry?? :)

The cutting up begins!!

Meat waiting to be ground.

Our trusty bosch grinder!!

Tabitha cutting.

One sweet and silly helper!

Grinding, grinding and more grinding!!

Meatballs.
Several hundred pounds of meat later and we're done!!! Praise the Lord for safety and only one minor injury during the whole butchering process!!

And after it's all done--- fresh burgers for supper!! MMMMMM!!!

Trivia Tuesday!!

The answer to the last trivia is...........

Elizabeth!!

And the new trivia is-------

Which Ulmer baby did Dad deliver because the midwife didn't make it in time??

Happy Birthday, Moses!!!

Happy 14th Birthday, Moses!!!!

We Love You!!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Happy 50th Birthday, Mommy!!

While we normally don't announce the ages of our parents, this is a milestone too neat to over-look!!

We are so grateful for our precious Mommy!! We are blessed by her over-flowing passion for the Lord, and her devoted love to Dad. And by her love for her Savior she has been a steadfast example to each of her children and all other around her. The godly life she has lived is a treasured heritage to her children, and will bless all future generations!!

Thank-you Mommy, for giving your life to Him!!

May He continue to shine His face upon you, and bless you with health and joy in the coming years!!

We Love You!!

"Her children rise up and call her blessed, her husband also and he praiseth her; Many daughters have done virtuously, both thou excellest them all." Proverbs 31:28 & 29

Trivia Tuesday

The answer to the last trivia is..........

Micah!!

And the new trivia is-----

One morning in early spring, our family was getting up and everyone was getting dressed and ready for the day. As Dad got dressed to go to work, one of the boys came running in from outside-- "Dad, there's a skunk in the yard!!" Arming himself with the shotgun, Dad pursued the skunk down the road until he was able to get a good shot. Completing his mission, he hurried back to the house, trying not to be late for work and avoid being overwhelmed by that trademark smell.

Later that day, several of us children were discussing the skunk and it's odor. As they laughed about "such a big stink for such a little guy", one of the little girls piped up indignantly--

"Excuse me, but please don't talk about that skunk in front of my nose!!"

So, which Ulmer girl has such a sensitive nose???

Happy Guessing!!!

Trivia Tuesday!!!

The answer is.............

Baby #1----

Charity!!!

Baby #2----

Justice!!!

Good Guessing Ya'll!!!

And the new trivia is-

One of our little boys had trouble getting his words straight as a very little youngster!! Just to name a few----

"Please pass the banoccoli (broccoli)."

"These nurdles (noodles) are very good."

"Are we going to get some bikinis (kiwis)???"

Which Ulmer boy can pronounce his words properly now??

**smile**

(My apologies for the late trivia posting!! We were down yesterday with the flu.)